I have a love affair with trees. It’s true. I love their beautiful branch architecture, foliage and the dappled shade that they provide. Living in the desert Southwest, shade is a valuable commodity with the relief it offers from the intense sun and cool temperatures it offers. For all these reasons and more, I can’t […]
I recently shared some examples of ‘butchered’ trees and asked you to try to identify what each tree was. You can take the quiz here, if you like, before seeing the answers below. As promised, here the photos of badly pruned trees and what they should look like: Badly Pruned Trees Photo: #1 – Desert […]
Yesterday, doing several errands, I was driving through the parking lot of our local Walmart when I saw a sight that stopped me dead in my tracks. Now, normally parking lots are prime examples of bad landscape practices with over-planted and excessively pruned shrubs. But, what I saw was truly breathtaking. Purple Blossoms This fuss-free, shrub was […]
Do you like discovering new things? I do. Particularly newer plant introductions. New plant hybrids are always being discovered and I am always on the lookout for new ones. I like to use newer plant introductions in landscapes to help give them a new and updated look. Last week, I told you about my partnership with Monrovia […]
What does your garden look like in early spring? Does it somewhat boring? How about adding some color and interest to your garden by adding some water-wise flowering plants? This week, I had a fun project to work on – in partnership with Monrovia, I was asked to select two types water-wise plants for the […]
Do you have an easy time saying “goodbye” to a loved one? Probably not. As I sit and write this post this evening, I must confess that my mother’s heart hurts. We said “goodbye” this morning to our daughter, Rachele and her little baby, Eric. back to California Her car was all packed up […]
Do you have a plant that you have wanted to add to your garden? I have wanted a certain cactus for my own landscape for a long time and earlier this week, I found myself bringing a cutting of my favorite cactus finally home. I was so excited that instead of putting it in […]
Do you enjoy seeing “before and after” photos? I do – especially with landscapes. Just over a year ago, I was asked to help renovate a local church’s landscape. As you can see their landscape had become rather bare as plants had not been replaced over the years. In addition, there were some old plants […]
Do you love roses? I do. While most people will tell you that they love roses, they probably do not like the extra maintenance that they require with repeated fertilizing, deadheading, and fighting damaging insects, and fungal diseases. Well, let me introduce you to a rose that is beautiful and low-maintenance. Lady Banks rose may […]
signs of our warm winter While much of the country is suffering from a truly awful winter season, those of us who live in the Southwest are having the exact opposite problem. This has been a very warm winter season, with the exception of a few freezing nights back in December. With temps 10 – […]
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